State preview: Clark Fork isn't afraid to wear the glass slipper

CALDWELL — Cinderella stories are synonymous with March, and it’s what millions of fans love about watching the NCAA basketball tournament.

Well, on Wednesday in the first round of the 1A Division II state tournament, one of those Cinderella stories will be on full display for the entire state to see when the Wampus Cats take on Rockland at 1 p.m. PST at Caldwell High.

Just two years ago, the Clark Fork boys basketball team was desperately fighting for just one win. Now the Wampus Cats are on the cusp of building a program where state appearances aren’t so unfamiliar.

It’s an amazing transformation that has all been overseen by head coach Heath Beason. The journey isn’t over yet, but the story so far is one that will be told in the town of Clark Fork for years to come.

“You could write a script on how you think it would be, and it would never touch how you truly feel,” Beason said.

The Wampus Cats punched their first ticket to state since 2008 last Wednesday with a 53-24 win at Mullan in the District 1 title game. The Tigers were without two of their starters — Luke and Riley Trogden — for most of that game and Kootenai didn’t even take the court this season as the school opted out of winter sports due to COVID-19 concerns.

The opportunity for Clark Fork to end its 13-year state drought was certainly there for the taking, and the team ran with it. The 4-12 record the Wampus Cats enter state with isn’t flashy, in fact, it's the worst record of any team competing at state this week.

However, that record doesn’t tell the whole story. Clark Fork faced Priest River, a 3A state qualifier, Lakeside, a 1A Division I state qualifier, Wallace and the Bonners Ferry JV team each twice this season and lost all eight. Wallace nearly took down Lakeside in its district title game and the Badgers’ varsity team played its way into the 3A state tournament this past weekend.

Mullan is the only team within the 1A Division II classification Clark Fork has seen this season, and the Wampus Cats were two points away from going 3-0 against them.

The record doesn’t show it, but those losses to much larger schools have helped the team build its identity.

“I don’t look at our record as how skilled we are,” junior guard Carter Sanroman said. “Once you’re in, you’re in, it doesn’t matter.”

But Clark Fork’s opponents at the state may look at that record and underestimate their potential. Beason said he is fine with embracing the role of the underdog and “every dog can have his day.”

“Numbers don’t make the team, it’s what is in your heart and how hard you work,” he said. “There’s a chance for somebody to win no matter where you’re at … now we just have to prove to the other districts how good we are.”

Beason said his team is playing with house money at state.

“What do we have to lose?” he said. “Everybody is 0-0. It doesn’t matter what the score is, it doesn’t matter who you’ve played, it’s who’s playing good on that day and who is willing to go out there and play hard for the win.”

Early on this season, aspirations of a berth to state weren’t on the minds of the Wampus Cats, they were just trying to string together some wins. The team started 1-11 and went through a seven-game losing streak.

However, the team has hit their stride in recent weeks, winning three of their past four games. Beason said he wouldn’t want to be entering the state tournament at any other time because his squad is peaking when it matters most and they are injury free.

“I have faith in our team,” he said.

Part of the recent surge for the Wampus Cats is the result of the team moving to a full-court press. The adjustment has breathed new life into the team and helped them find another level on both ends of the court.

Clark Fork has a wealth of lengthy, athletic guards, and Sanroman said the aggressive style saved the team during the district title game when they went through some rough patches offensively.

“We have the perfect guys to run that and that’s what has won us the games we’ve won,” he said. “It’s really hard to beat.”

The emergence of Sam Barnett over the past few months has also allowed the team to take off. In a win at Mullan on Feb. 9, Barnett scored a season-high 24 points and the junior said he has gotten more comfortable with his role as the season has progressed.

Sanroman said having a third option as dangerous as Barnett on the court takes some pressure and workload off him and his half-brother, Cameron Garcia.

“He’s a really good team player,” Sanroman said about Barnett. “When he finally came around, it was a huge help.”

Barnett moved to Clark Fork from Mount Shasta, California, this past summer. He played on the Wampus Cats’ football team this fall and quickly built a close relationship with his teammates. Those relationships have translated to the hardwood where most of the team is made up of football players.

Moving to a new school can be tough, but Barnett said he feels like is now part of the Wampus Cat family.

“I really like the guys and they are fun to be with,” he said, “so it was a pretty easy transition.”

A trip to state is something Garcia, a senior, has been searching for throughout his Clark Fork career. So raising the district trophy above his head and finally breaking through is a moment he won’t ever forget. But he isn’t satisfied and he knows there is more hardware up for grabs.

“I know the job is not done,” he said. “The goal here is to win state now. Now that we’re coming together … hopefully we can produce on the basketball court down at state this year and bring back another trophy.”

At the district title game in Mullan, the stands were packed with Clark Fork fans. Sanroman said the school had a rally bus make the trip down to support the team and the atmosphere was electric.

“We had more fans than they did,” he said. “We’d be 5 feet apart from coach and we couldn’t hear him.”

After the win, Beason said chaos ensued and his phone just wouldn’t stop buzzing with messages of support from friends, family and alumni. He said the support the team has received over the past week is hard to put into words. At times, Beason said he’s felt like a celebrity who has to put up their hoodie to avoid being seen. He can’t even pump his gas without someone offering their congratulations.

“I really haven’t had time to coach,” he joked. “The upbeat feeling, we don’t want this to stop for the kids.”

If the Wampus Cats return from their trip to Southern Idaho with any type of trophy, the small town will certainly lose its collective mind. But in order to make that a reality, Clark Fork will need to overcome its youth and inexperience at the state level.

Early in the district title game, Beason said he could tell his team was a little anxious and he is working on those nerves to make sure his team knows what to expect and they don’t get overwhelmed by the moment.

As the season has gone on, Garcia has really seen the sophomores and freshmen buy in and he believes they are ready for the state stage.

“I’ve seen a lot of growth,” he said, “and they are getting more confident on the floor, and more vocal. They work every single day at practice, take information in and are slowly starting to get it.”

For Beason, this experience is about setting the program up for the future and giving his young squad a taste of state competition. Just one victory at state, he said, could ignite a tremendous amount of belief in the new standard he is trying to establish at Clark Fork.

“This sets a precedent in regards to the future of our program,” he said, “and the building of how hard that you need to work to get back to [state].”

Clark Fork’s first opponent at state, District 5-6 runner-up Rockland, enters the tournament with a 19-6 record and the Bulldogs have won 12 of their last 14 games. It will be a tall task for the Wampus Cats, but one thing is for sure — they won’t go down without a fight.

Barnett said this trip to state will boost pride in the program and make the players hungrier to put in the time during the offseason. He is also looking forward to see how long their run at state will last.

“Well missing school is a plus,” he said, “and we get to play a couple more games.”

For Sanroman, this state appearance isn’t just about the team, it’s about putting Clark Fork on the map and letting everyone around the state know who they are.

“I want to make a mark,” he said. “I want the school’s name to get out there. Even just to go down there and win a couple games and place would be a really good thing for the school and our team. If we’re down there winning games, everyone is like, ‘Whoa, where are you guys from?’”

This is Garcia’s last chance to cement his legacy at Clark Fork. He plans on passing the torch to the underclassmen down at state and he can’t wait to see where they take this program in the coming years, because he’ll be watching.

“I will never forget these memories with these kids,” he said.

Beason said this group has fully embraced the family mentality — on and off the court. The team does everything together, and he said that unselfishness will take the Wampus Cats to new heights.

“I am so proud of these kids as individuals because of their maturity,” he said. “These are my kids for life.”

You can watch all of Clark Fork’s games at the 1A Division II state tournament live on the NFHS Network.